Tag Archives: career management

Is your money where your mouth is?

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Here’s some food for thought.

A recent survey conducted by McKinsey & Company showed that 87% of 7,751 people around the world who were surveyed demanded that companies go green and focus on more than profits.  I didn’t find that surprising.  What I found jaw-dropping was that 33% of those same consumers said that they were either ready to buy green products or already did.  In other words, only one third were willing to put their money where their mouth is.1

What does this have to do with your career?

As concerned as I am about what companies people are supporting with their hard-earned cash, I’d like to turn the focus to what employees are doing with their careers.

Just like more and more of us demand companies to have a triple bottom-line that is focused on profits, social contribution and environmental impact, the question is what is the bottom line of our careers focused on?  Does your career have a triple bottom-line, focused on financial rewards, social contribution and caring for the environment?  Or are you working for money alone?  By working for money alone, as employees are we again not putting our money where our mouth is?

Here’s the deal.  As long as there are employees who are willing to work for money alone and consumers who are willing to base their purchases on price alone, there will always be companies who will be able to exist for profit-making alone.

To help tip the scale, here are my thoughts for the day:

1.  Work as if you count.  Anita Roddick said it best:  “If you think you’re too small to make a difference, you haven’t been in bed with a mosquito.”

2.  Ask yourself:  “By going to work every day, what am I helping to move forward?  Is that in line with my values?”  If your answer is ‘no’ ask yourself: “What would be in line with what is important to me?”  For a list of assessments that will help you find out what you value, check out my post: I’m not so sure I’m self-assured.

3. Ask yourself:  “Through my work, am I creating the world that I want to live in?”  If your answer is ‘no’, then ask yourself: ”What would I like to work for?”  As a starting point, it does need to be to save the rainforest in Brazil or orangutans in Sumatra, it can be to simply stop supporting what you are right now.

Why Bother With a Day Job When You Want to Be an Entrepreneur?

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If you’re sitting there – fresh out of college or in the middle of a career transition – trying to figure out whether it’s better to get a job or start a business, I can assure you that you’re not alone.  In fact, in the past week I received emails from twentysomethings across the globe asking me what’s the right thing to do – that’s why I decided to write a post.

I grant you that the idea of not having a boss to report to, of working on your own terms and schedule, and of wearing whatever you please to the office (or only your boxer shorts) would tempt the best of us.  The question is, as an entrepreneur-in-the-making, would you be choosing immediate comfort over what you stand to learn from working within an organization – which in the long run could play to your advantage?

Based on my experience in the past decade of earning a living as both an entrepreneur and an employee, I believe that working as an employee can add to your entrepreneurial flare.  The key to maxing out on your time as an employee is to be deliberate and aware of what you stand to gain.

Here are some clues:

  1. Make mistakes on someone else’s tab. The sooner you accept that mistakes are part of your growth process, the sooner that you’ll stop wasting time dwelling on them and spend more time learning from them.  The catch is that mistakes can be very costly and it’s through dealing with mistakes that you get better at handling them.  As an employee you get a chance to sharpen your skills in handling mistakes.  Hopefully you’ll also get a few basic ones out of the way – while someone else is paying for them.  Which means that if you plan to one day have your own business, I suggest that you focus on learning from your mistakes so that you make them only once – on your employer’s tab and not on yours when you own your business. 
  2. Practice your skills.  Unlike learning to be a surgeon, in the business world there isn’t such a thing as live sheep for you to practice your skills.  In business, you’re either doing real deals, or you’re not.  Working as an employee is the closest that you’ll come to practicing your skills on live matter without risking your own money.
  3. FREE training.  As a firm believer that there’s no such thing as a free lunch, I still believe that one of the perks of working as an employee is the access to training that you get.  For that reason, if you’re drawn to entrepreneurship, I suggest that you make sure that you choose to work with a company that offers their staff top-shelf training.  And even if you’re not drawn to sales, I suggest that you get some formal training.  The bottom line is that sales is what makes up the bottom-line of any business.  Your ability to contribute to it is what in large part will drive the success of your future venture.
  4. Learn tried & tested systems.  If your employer knows what they’re doing, they’ll have sound systems and processes in place.  From the templates that the HR department uses, to sales tracking systems, to customer service scripts, you’ll find that great businesses have a framework that allows them to follow well-designed processes.  Because a systematic approach is key to delivering consistently without having to waste resources re-inventing the wheel, I suggest that you take a close look at your employer’s framework. Take the opportunity to learn – one day your own business will benefit from having systems in place.
  5. Expand your network.  Not that I don’t think that your college buddies are smart or competent and would make for great business partners.  But I also believe that a diverse team, with multiple points of view and levels of experience is great for business.  And what a better way to find a business partner than through working with someone and finding out if they bring out the best in you – or the worst?
  6. Establish relationships with suppliers.  Similar to meeting colleagues who could be good business partners, working within an organization is a great opportunity to kick the tires of suppliers.  I’ve made it a habit to stay in touch with the ones who deliver high quality in a timely manner (with a smile) and at competitive prices.
  7. Try before you buy.  As an employee, getting regular income, you have less financial pressure.  That’s why you can expose yourself to a few industries and roles before locking yourself into a business or industry.  Trying several roles is a great way to learn more about what you enjoy, what’s important to you and what you’re great at – before you risk your own capital in a venture.
  8. Get ideas.  I’m not advocating that you snatch ideas from your employer, but I do suggest that you keep your eyes open.  It’s quite common for employees to spot something their employer needs, be it a service or a product, and then turn around and make them their first client.  Be open to possibilities, I say.
  9. Learn some tricks.  As someone in your twenties, the likelihood is that in your first few jobs you’ll be among the youngest one in the team.  Although I do not believe in idealizing people or in giving credit based on seniority, I do believe that as a rookie, you stand to learn from those who have been around the block a few times.  I’ve personally found that whenever I’ve shown respect to my older colleagues, that they have been forthcoming with their tricks of the trade.  It’s then been a matter of keeping what works and ignoring the rest – respectfully please!
  10. Learn what NOT to do.  Just as an employer does things right – after all they are making enough money to pay your salary – they also have room for improvement.  Learn from their weakest links.  But do me a favor – do not dwell on their mistakes. There’s nothing more short-sighted than an employee who focuses on what their employer does wrong.  Learn as much as you possibly can from your employer – the good and the bad.
  11. Save, save, save.  An almost guaranteed paycheck is one of the perks about working as an employee.  The trick then is to keep your eye on the ball and save as much of your salary as you possibly can.  Granted, wearing designer clothes and owning the latest model toys is a lot of fun, but neither one grows your seed capital for a future business.

I’m not trying to be a party pooper by suggesting that you go about being an employee in a deliberate way.  Rather, I believe in making the party work for you (and me) and not the other way around.

Find a recruiter for life

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I did a short stint at a recruitment agency.  It was long enough to see the underbelly of the industry.  While what I saw was not pretty, I’m now thankful that since then I found a very professional recruiter to work with.  For the past 4 years I’ve stayed loyal to a recruiter who has landed me two great jobs in a row.  In fact, they have all been bigger and better than my previous ones.  Okay, so I kissed a few frogs before I found my prince(ss) – but my search certainly paid off.  I can now say that there are some great professionals out there.

What does my prince(ss) have that all those frogs didn’t:

1. She shows respect for me:  On our first meeting, it was clear to me that she took time to get to know about my career path.  From her comments, I knew that she had gone through my resume with a fine-tooth comb.

2. She gets me:  At our first meeting she asked me well-thought questions about my career and life in general.  To close our meeting she did a great job at summarizing my checkered career path and pointed out aspects of my personality that were quite insightful. 

3. She keeps her word:  At our first meeting she proposed a series of next steps.  Shortly after, she followed through on each one of her commitments.

4. She shows integrity:  Although shortly after we started to work together, she asked me for a 30-day exclusivity, she never asked me to sign a contract.  She trusted my word.  In return, I felt compelled to trust hers.

5.  She keeps me in the loop:  Since day one, whenever she makes contact with a potential employer, almost immediately I receive a phone call to let me know how it went and what are the next steps.  When she’s not meeting with my potential employers, she also keeps me up to date about her search and potential opportunities that may be coming her way.

6. She involves me in the job search:  She encourages my feedback about the roles that she sends my way.  As she often reminds me, she wants to know if these opportunities are on track with my expectations.

7. She has my best interests in mind:  She isn’t manipulative and has never forced me to go to an interview I’m not 100% sure about.  The same has applied to every position I’ve accepted.  She gives me space and time to make up my own mind.

8. She’s well-networked and specialized:  Being that she’s worked in the healthcare industry in Australia for more than a decade, she’s known by the key players.  As an owner-operator of her boutique agency, she personally takes care of these relationships.

9.  She thinks laterally:  Time after time, she identifies opportunities that most recruiters would not think to connect with my career path.

10.  She’s supportive:  Using her back-ground in coaching, she’s able to help me resolve doubts I might have before an interview.  Usually she also gives me clues as to what the employer is looking for.  I’m well aware that she gets commission if I get the job, but to me it feels that she’s going the extra mile to make sure that I feel prepared at my interviews.

Maybe your prince is right around the corner.  When you find them, I suggest that you hold on to them.

Getting out of the (procrastination) rut

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It’s gotta be exam time in Australia because in the past few weeks I’ve received several emails from my Gen Y readers asking me if I have the cure for procrastination.

After my jaw dropped when I found that in Google there are 4,890,000 entries for procrastination, I decided to share with you what I’ve learned to do through the years to get myself out of the procrastination rut.

(I’m still wondering how often all those sites dedicated to procrastination get updated…)

Plan A: Schedule tasks I dread for first thing in the morning, between 8-11 am.  I find that tackling something I’ve been dreading first thing sets a really nice tone to my day.  Try it tomorrow morning.

If for some reason plan A doesn’t work, I bring out the big guns.

Plan B: I fill the task with meaning by following this simple visualization:

1. I close my eyes and start taking deep breaths. Then,

2. I ask myself: “Why do I want to accomplish this task?”  In other words, what will it mean to me when I’ve finished my board paper, expense report, promotional letter, or whatever it is that needs to get done. Then,

3. I try to imagine how will I feel when that paper, report or letter is done.  I try to add as many colors and emotions to my picture.

4. Slowly I open my eyes.

I usually find that doing this psyches me up and pulls me out of the rut and into action.

If plan B doesn’t do the trick, I do what a Buddhist monk taught me – I surrender and remind myself that everything is impermanent.  That surely doesn’t get the job done, but at least it makes me feel better about procrastinating. (Please don’t try this one at home…)

Roll up your sleeves

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Of the 1.3 million US college graduates in 2007, more than 50% became professional sales  people.1  That same year the total number of graduates from US med schools was 16,000.2

I can see how some might find this statistic shocking.  Particularly those who feel that sales is beneath them.

Make no mistake, even though most sales people do not save lives or rainforests, sales is what makes the world go ‘round.  That’s the bottom line.

Too many times I have seen entrepreneurs fail because they were ‘too good’ to roll up their sleeves and go sell their wares.  Too many times I have seen glossy business plans shrivel up simply because those who master-minded the idea refused to hit the road (and the phone) to look for customers.

As a serial entrepreneur I’ve learned first hand how important selling is to any business venture.  Even after years of specializing in business development, sometimes I feel stuck and find it hard to get motivated.

It’s because of the following principles that I’ve been able to roll up my sleeves, without feeling that I’m compromising my professional integrity – or that I’m crossing over to the dark side.

To celebrate Diwali3, let me enlighten you:

Golden rule:  Forget closing techniques.  When you ask for the business, you’re OPENING a relationship, not CLOSING a sale.  Some might find this to be a simple play on words.  In my experience this approach is what has made a world of difference to my track record.  It’s like dating.  If you’re attracted to someone and want to move beyond a friendship, you either hope and pray that you get kissed or you ask for a kiss.  If there’s consent, a kiss doesn’t close anything.  A kiss is what moves the relationship to the next level.  It’s the same in business.  A sale is what advances the relationship.

Know your product:  It’s possible that you got the job in large part thanks to your charm and even your good looks, but without product knowledge neither will get you the sale!

Know your client:  From the get go, get into your customer’s shoes.  Tell them what’s in it for them if they buy from you.  Focus on their needs and how dealing with you will be a different experience to dealing with all the other sales people (the other 649,999).

Supermarket test:  This one is particularly important if you’re employed within an organization.  Treat customers like you’re 100% sure that you’ll bump into them at the supermarket while you’re with your family – and can’t hide behind a company logo.

Build trust:  Trust takes time to build.  Start by keeping your word.  Do not over promise to get the sale.  You’ll be risking the long-term relationship.  Always remember that clients who trust you will refer you to others. 

Guard your reputation:  Whether you’re selling widgets, crunching numbers behind a desk or teaching yoga, your professional reputation is always on the line – not only your employer’s.  Particularly in sales the messenger (i.e. you) will be shot.  If you’re known for your integrity, the likelihood is that your clients will follow you wherever you go.  Show integrity by making claims that you can back up with sound data.  Data that you believe in.  Be transparent – like you, prospects aren’t idiots.

Question prospects’ current buying habits:  It’s not rude to ask someone why they are currently buying what they are.  It’s actually in their best interest to review their buying habits.  Ask them respectfully. 

 

References:

1. Thanks Huthwaite

2. Thanks AAMC

3. Diwali: “…the Hindu festival of lights…extends over five days.  (It) celebrates the victory of good over evil, light over darkness, and knowledge over ignorance…” (thanks BBC)

Job hopping 101

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Because I’m still reading through the hate mail that I received after posting Are You Getting the Itch to Switch (jobs) on brazencareerist’s blog: http://www.brazencareerist.com/2008/09/08/are-you-getting-the-itch-to-switch-jobs I thought it would be a good idea to set the record straight about my philosophy about job hopping.

Lets start by defining what it isn’t.

Job hopping is not a sport. It’s certainly not about running away from something. Neither is it a way to feel redeemed by getting back at your boss or the HR department. Make no mistake, if it’s not done strategically, job hopping might as well be called career suicide.

In order for job hopping to lead you to success in your career, you must be strategic and follow a few ground rules.

These are my top 10:

Rule #1: Be a career owner. Take charge and run your career like a business venture. Have a long-term plan. At the very least know what you want to achieve during the next 5 years. Map out how you’ll get there. That way when you switch, you’re not running away, you’re going towards something.

Rule # 2: Package yourself on your resume. Ditch the features. Focus on the benefits that your past experiences will bring to your future employer. Your potential future boss does not care about how many clients you cold-called. She wants to know that because you’re not afraid of cold-calling you have the potential of opening new accounts. Back up your claims with past accomplishments.

Rule #3: Package yourself during the interview. Okay, so I’ve had 4 jobs in the past 5 years and I owned and ran a business in between. To show my future bosses what that means to their bottom line, other than quite possibly that I will not be around for more than 18 months – I use the following illustration:

+ + + + + = $$$ for you

To do this, I pull out a piece of blank paper and a pen and draw this same picture as I talk about what I learned from each experience. I focus on the transferable skills that I bring to the table that will impact their bottom line. For example, when I mention that I’ve had my own business, I explain that I can work under minimal supervision and get things done. I do not leave it up to them to answer: “What’s in it for me?”

Rule #4: Partner with a recruiter. I’ve worked in recruitment so I know how nasty recruiters can get – especially when they’re desperate to fill a role (i.e. to get commission). But I have also found some very professional ones out there. In fact, much of my success in hopping around I owe to one particular recruiter who since day one got me. It was more than chemistry. She took time to read my resume and ask me insightful questions. Not only did I feel respected, I also felt that because she took time to understand me, that she would be able to place me well. Twice in a row she has placed me in jobs that have been bigger and better than my previous ones. I suggest that you take the time to look for a recruiter who you feel comfortable with and you can trust. When you do, keep them around. I had to kiss a few frogs before I found mine.

Rule # 5: Network. I don’t believe in being Machiavellian about relationships. It’s those people who I genuinely connect with who have helped me the most during my career. So there’s little point to go around collecting acquaintances. For your network to really support your success, it must be made up of people you like and respect. Your recruiter is one of them.

Rule #6: Prepare for the sales presentation. Make no mistake, you are selling yourself at an interview. For that very reason, I treat every interview in the same way that I treat a sales presentation to a client. The difference is that at an interview I’m the product and the salesperson. I make sure that I know my product (i.e. my resume) and also my presentation. These days there are no secret questions at an interview. You’ll find lists and lists of interview questions online. Here’s a list I found to be quite insightful since it gives advice to interviewers on how to get the best (and worst) out of candidates: www.bnet.com/2403-13056_23-52952.html

Rule #7: Ask for the job. Please do not get so close to the job and yet be so far away simply because you do not ask for it. I admit that it can feel awkward to say to the interviewer: “I like what I know about the company, and what I learned today about the role and the team. And I really want this job. What will it take for me to get it?” But being that I’ve sat on the other side of the table, I know that candidates who do not ask me for the job come across as people without a back-bone. As a future boss, I want the person who will do whatever it takes to get the job done – even if it means putting up with a few seconds of awkwardness.

Rule #8: Learn to negotiate your salary. In an earlier post I wrote about negotiating the empowered way (http://silvanaavinami.com/?p=28). The main thing to keep in mind when you’re negotiating your salary is that a negotiation is the beginning of your relationship with your future employer/boss, not the end. To set a positive tone, aim for an outcome that’s mutually beneficial. For the relationship to last, you must feel that you came out getting what you need. By the same token, do not expect your future boss to give you more if that will land them in the loosing position. Expect them to pay you in line with your contributions – not the smick life-style you want to lead. By focusing on the value that you’ll add to the company, quite possibly you’ll find that you’ll be able to afford all those toys that you want.

Rule #9: Exit in style. I covered this in an earlier post (http://silvanaavinami.com/?p=161). In short, aim to preserve the relationship that you worked so hard to build with your soon-to-be ex-employer. Very few people know you as well as they do. Like I have, some day you’ll find that they will be great allies as you sail across the big blue ocean of possibilities.

Rule #10: Become a learning machine. To successfully switch jobs, let alone careers and industries means that you’ll have to climb some steep learning curves. And tackling all the information that comes your way can at times feel like trying to survive an avalanche. The key is to find out very early on in your career what steps you go through to learn new information as well as under what conditions you learn best. Once you know this, you’re less likely to panic if by month 2 in a new job you still feel clueless. For example, I know that after month 3 things start to gel in my brain. After month 6 I’ll start to see the light. So I no longer panic. I simply make it a point to sleep 8 hours a night for the first ew months so that my brain survives the over-stimulation.

Why having a foreign accent is fabulous for business

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Being that my first language is Spanish and that I’ve developed my career in the English-speaking world, at work meetings and functions, more often than not, I get asked about my foreign accent.  Quite frankly, the ‘..and where are you from?’ line (or similar version) got old about 10 years ago.  To stop myself from getting annoyed, I’ve found a way to amuse myself.  Before answering I ask people to take a guess.  I’ve heard all kinds of things.  Among my favorite responses are: Philadelphia (go figure, I only stopped in Bethlehem during the storm of ‘93), Quebec, and some have even placed me in Chekoslovakia (close guess, three of my grandparents are Eastern European).  I know that I sound like all of South Florida, just like JLo and on a bad day like Ricky Ricardo.

Although I now take this lightly, earlier in my career I was convinced that my foreign accent made me sound unprofessional and in general played against me in the world of work.  With that on my mind, whenever I spoke, I made an effort to sound ‘American’.  Forget that I must of sounded robotic and rehearsed.  All the mental energy that I was dedicating to juggling between my accent, the content and the structure, would’ve been much better spent on what I was saying.  Needles to say, I usually felt exhausted after meetings, phone calls and presentations.

Determined to get rid of this nagging feeling, I decided to look for proof to dispute the little voice inside my head.  If only someone would’ve pulled me aside earlier to tell me all the reasons why having an accent is great for business. 

Native-speakers and ESLs, let me enlighten you:

1. Think Kofi Annan, Carlos Ghosn, Golda Meir and Roberto Goizueta.  It’s clear that their accents did not get in the way of their success.  If anything they all sound(ed) memorable and distinguished.  So it follows that

2. Being unique is a strength especially when we’re all wearing blue suits.

3. By growing up in a different part of the world than most people in the room, by default you bring a new and different point of view.  Buzz words aside, diversity does add value in the world of work.

4. If like me, you had to complete the entire series of Warriner’s Grammar and Composition to graduate from high school, it’s likely that your grammar is above average.

5. Breaking the ice by speaking about your nationality and foreign countries in general is far more interesting than talking about the weather.

Do me a favor and give yourself a break.  Keep your accent.  Instead focus on backing your recommendations with solid data and try to use correct grammar. 

Let go! (it’s all impermanent)

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Shot by Adrian Alston

At the risk of my readers suspecting that I own shares of Buddha Corp. (BCOR) I’ve decided to indulge my need to write yet another post about the benefits of meditation. 

In an earlier post: Go Fetch! I only mentioned in passing that while sharpening my meditation skills at a Buddhist monastery, I also learned about impermanence.  This morning, after coming out of a Bikram yoga class, I realized that when I wrote that last week, I only knew that the concept impermanence existed.  In other words, I did not really know what impermanence is.  Today is when I experienced impermanence for the very first time.

The aha! moment hit me this morning when I went to pay for parking.  For three years I’ve been making sure that I leave my yoga class in time to get to my car within 2 hours so that I pay $1 for parking and not $7.  Today my system went wrong and I got zapped by a $7 dollar fee for going over just 2 minutes.  Those 2 minutes cost me $5 bucks.  Okay so it’s not a big deal, it’s just $2 bucks.  However, I’m ashamed of myself to say that the last time that I went over and had to pay $7, I went totally nuts.  First I felt pangs of anger in my belly, the temperature in my body rose and angry thoughts started to swirl in my head at a million miles an hour.  Admittedly a totally extreme reaction, but that’s what I experienced. 

Today though when I saw the $7 dollar charge come up on the parking meter, I acknowledged it with a gentle ‘oh’, and took out a bill from my wallet.  Calmy and feeling undisturbed by the mishap, I walked back to my car. 

Has meditation damaged my amygdala – the region responsible for emotional reactions in our brains?  Or has meditation allowed me to let go off things at the speed of light?  Because I still cry of laughter whenever I hear something funny, and I’m still in love with my husband, I know that the latter has to be true. 

Taking it a step further, I realized that if anything, meditation has turned me into a more rational human being.  (Notice the focus on human – other living beings have the capacity to feel – just think slaughter house – but their ability to reason and make decisions is still questionable)  How am I more rational? By not holding on to anger, I did not occupy my mind unnecessarily.  Instead I used it to think of my options.  I now know that if I park out on the street for 5 days in a row, by not paying a $1 each day, I’ll make up for the extra $5 bucks that I paid today.  That’s an option right there, which even gives me the opportunity to change my scenery and get more fresh air.  Maybe it’s a bit extreme to go through that process for such a triviality, but this realization is certainly worth testing on the bigger issues that life throws my way.  

What does this have to do with impermanence?  Right now, take a deep breath and hold on to it. Hold it. Hold it a few more seconds.  Keep holding it.  Okay let go!

What were you thinking while you were holding on to your breath?  I suspect that like me, all you could think of was how great it would feel to breathe out.

Then my question is, if it’s inevitable that the breath will go out, that things are impermanent, then why hold on to them in the first place? 

By holding on to things we’re only hurting ourselves and certainly not being part of the solution.  We become part of the solution by thinking through our options, not by holding on to things.

Next time that you’re holding on to something, like a big important problem, you might want to ask yourself: “Why am I taking up head space and energy holding on to this?  Instead why not use my mind in smarter ways, like thinking creatively and looking for solutions?”

Namaste.

Stamping out mistakophobia

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Mistakophobia, an intense fear of making mistakes, is up there with career -suicide as one of the killers of career growth.

The afflicted mistakophobes are so afraid of making mistakes that they never leave their comfort zone.  Going about their work-lives feeling comfortably numb, because they seldom make mistakes, they miss out on all kinds of important lessons.  Consequently they never grow.  And the cycle repeats itself.

There is a thin line between a good mistake and an unforgivable one.  The kind of mistake I’m advocating is the inevitable one that comes from taking risks and trying new things.  It’s also the one that we make a point to learn from so that we don’t make it again. 

How can you tell if you’re on the right side of the line?

1.     You’re genuinely surprised by your mistake.

2.    You accept full responsibility.

3.    You’re quick to find out what went wrong for the sole purpose of finding a solution – not to dodge blame.

4.    You don’t dwell on the situation.  Instead you aim to find solutions and get on with things quickly.

5.     When faced with the same or a similar situation, you’re able to apply what you learned.

Go Fetch! (lessons from inside the walls of a Buddhist monastery)

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Contrary to what most would think, that the reason I went away for 3 days to meditate and observe Noble Silence* at a Buddhist monastery was to take care of my spirit, my main objective was to take care of business.  By learning from those who know best about meditation, my goal was to improve my practice and sharpen my mind.  In the process I did learn about loving kindness and the impermanence of things.  But those were only fringe benefits and pale in comparison to what I learned about how to control my mind by keeping it still.

My main hope in sharing this with you is for you to realize that, like me, you too can benefit from sitting down and doing nothing for 30 minutes a day – talk about a great return on an investment!

The reality is that as much fun as it looks like a dog is having when it’s playing fetch with its owner, something tells me that just like me, you would much rather be the one throwing the stick.  Not the one panting from chasing after it.

The question is, are your thoughts sending you to go fetch?  In other words, are you mindlessly reacting to situations around you, chasing after your anger, your worries and your doubts? Or are you in control of your mind, taking time to think and respond to the world around you? 

Aside from your pride being threatened if you are in fact the one running breathlessly after your thoughts, the more important thing that is at stake here is your ability to think clearly.  When your mind is too busy going on an emotional errand, you’re not able to experience your mind’s full capacity to think.  It’s a well-known fact that your mind performs at its peak when it’s calm and clear like the surface of a pond on which you can see your own reflection.  A still mind is a clear mind.  A clear mind is a thinking mind.

The great news for you and me is that we can learn to make our mind stay still – and not go fetch – in spite of what happens around us.  The simplest way that I know how is by meditating.  By sitting down to focus on your in and out breath, you’re learning to take control over your mind by keeping it still.  The whole point is to keep coming back to your breath as it enters and leaves your nose, over and over again, as you watch your thoughts go past.  The more you do this, the easier it becomes for your mind to stay in one place.

I know that sitting down and doing nothing does not sound like much of a party.  But you tell me, what would you rather do; pant as a result of fetching after your thoughts all day long and continue to think with an impaired brain, or spend 30 minutes of your day to make your mind sharp as a diamond?

Take a deep breath (with a little smile).

*Noble Silence: silence of the body, speech and mind. Speaking is allowed only in case of an emergency or to ask staff about your practice.

The Buddhist monastery that received me with loving kindness: www.sunnataram.org